The Southwest Ohio Green Party announced today that it supports the passage of Issue 9 in the November election. Its position is based, in part, over concerns the party has about whether Cincinnati’s proposed $102 million streetcar system is an effective economic development tool.

This month’s Price Hill Civic Club meeting, slated for Tuesday night, will feature a debate on Issue 9, the ballot item that would impose restrictions on rail-related funding by the city of Cincinnati.

The neighborhood group has scheduled speakers to discuss the other issues on the Nov. 3 ballot. After their presentations, the debate will be held. Arguing in support of Issue 9 will be Mark Miller of the Coalition Opposed to Spending and Taxes (COAST) and former Congressman Tom Luken; opposed will be Don Mooney of Cincinnatians for Progress.

Jeff Cramerding, the longtime executive director of the Charter Committee, quietly resigned from that position on Sept. 2 to become a full-time campaign consultant. Cramerding was hired by Charter — Cincinnati’s unofficial third political party — in December 2000.

A tri-partisan mix of Cincinnati City Council members are once again reaching across party lines to hold a joint fundraiser — and bragging quite a bit while doing it.

Democrat Jeff Berding, Republican Leslie Ghiz and Charterite Chris Bortz are holding a campaign fundraiser together on Oct. 7. The trio also held a joint fundraiser in 2007 and often receives campaigning advice from Jeff Cramerding, executive director of the Charter Committee, Cincinnati’s de facto third political party.

“Being a Westsider and a progressive is not an oxymoron. We are thousands.”

That’s the motto of an event being held Saturday by Nicholas Hollan, a Democrat running for Cincinnati City Council. Hollan is organizing the “Potluck for Progressives” picnic, which will be held from 4-7 p.m. at Rapid Run Park's shelter house.

Imagine my surprise when I looked out on my front porch this morning and discovered a pamphlet left by Westwood Concern that was chock full of political commentary — albeit a great deal of it written in incomplete sentences.

One local blog has heard rumors that Dr. Brad Wenstrup, the GOP mayoral candidate, is backing away from remarks he made about the Cincinnati Police Department while on the campaign trail. Instead, Wenstrup or his surrogates are allegedly blaming the blog for inaccurate reporting.

After years of criticism by his opponents and at least one similar attempt two years ago, the Cincinnati Democratic Committee voted this morning to un-endorse City Councilman Jeff Berding. CityBeat first mentioned the current effort in early July.

More information is emerging about Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Berding’s “un-endorsement” by the local AFL-CIO, as well as about an election year poll commissioned by Democrats.

Attendees at the Cincinnati AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day Picnic on Monday at Coney Island were surprised when they read a flyer listing in alphabetical order the union’s endorsed candidates for City Council. Listed on top of the list, above “Laketa Cole,” was a sticker containing the name “Laure Quinlivan.”